A Bold, New World
by Red-Damascus-Steel
Summary: After completing their epic quest, Zelda and Link decide to stay on the surface. They had sealed the Triforce away and had plans they desired to fulfill and many places to explore, however, there are those who still seek the divine power and learn there is more to the surface than what they've witnessed. - Set after SS, Link/Zelda, my way of bringing about Ganondorf's existence.


**Set after the completion of Skyward Sword. Another adventure to be had. They thought all was well but another danger still followed.**

**Here goes nothing**

**…**

**Moonlight Cascades over the Dawn **

_Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel…_

_Sun in the sky, you know how I feel…_

_Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel…_

The dandelions were tenderly tickled as they dawdled in the gentle, fleeting wind. Walking along the cobbled path, her hand traced the crumbled walls that would soon require repair. Her blonde tresses swayed as her hips easily swung side to side with every step as she neared the great, smiling Goddess with palms pressed together. Designs to create this sacred area into a temple were already planned; they had long since hidden the Triforce within the sacred sculpture that was the Goddess. Loftwings glided lazily through the air, her gaze followed them as they squawked and played games with one another. It was too early for their guardian duties to be fulfilled; their riders were asleep.

_It's a new dawn, it's a new day; it's a new life for me._

_Yeah, it's a new dawn, it's a new day; it's a new life for me, ooooooooh..._

_And I'm feelin' good._

A soft smile settled on her face as she heard steps approach her. She had long since sent her loftwing to awaken him. That pink dress flowed daintily just below her knees as she loosely held onto the harp of Hylia. The circle platform had brought memories of earlier days when she had pushed her childhood friend off the Goddess statue. She didn't hear the heavy stone doors push open or the distinct flap of that sailcloth and decided maybe she was too lost in her own thoughts to have taken notice; she could sense someone was a few feet behind her; she assumed it was him. However, she made no move to turn.

_And this old world is a new world_

_And a bold world_

_For me…_

After a brief moment of silence, she spoke teasingly, "I didn't expect you to get here so quickly… Then again, considering everything we just went through, you're quick arrival isn't too much a shock… What should we do today?" After receiving no response, she pouted and turned, only to gasp.

"My apologies, Your Grace," a tall, slender man steadily approached her with the familiar red eye symbol she had come to know on his chest. "Do not feel threatened, I am Sheik of the Sheikah tribe. I am here to serve you."

"I… I don't recall sending for an agent," she observed the sinewy man with the blue exoskeleton, noting his cowl, turban and various bandages that wrapped his body; his eyes were crimson and sharp. His hair was long and blonde, bangs parted, and tied back into a braid. Four kunai were strapped to his thighs as he carefully approached her. "What is it that you are here for?"

"I was sent here by my tribe leader, Impa," Sheik knelt down and lowered his head, offering his hand in an open palm gesture. "I am here to pay homage, as is the treaty bound between our people, and I am to offer my full protection."

"I see…" she took his hand and tugged him up. "I appreciate your devotion but I'm not sure if I really need protection; we've finally reached a peaceful era but I accept your offering. Please, call me Zelda."

"As you wish, Your Gra-… Zelda," he got to his feet; he was about Impa's height. "I will-"

"**Watch out**!"

Sheik immediately pulled the goddess incarnate out the way as the chosen hero fell to the ground where she once stood. He put away his sail cloth and frantically muttered apologies. He no longer held his trusty master sword but he did have the Hylian shield and the various spoils he had gathered on his quest. The hero had become well equipped with his bow as it was slung around his chest with a large quiver. He turned, surprised to see a Sheikah male holding Zelda; his Zelda. The dirty blonde frowned but smiled as he approached his childhood friend.

"I'm sorry, my sense of direction has gone askew since Fi is no longer there to guide me," Link rubbed the back of his neck. "I had finally resigned from the Knight Academy! We can stay here!"

"Hold it, hero," Sheik maintained his grip on Zelda as she tried to rush over to him. "Had I not been here, your cry would have been insufficient. You could have-"

"Sheik, please, I am not some dainty damsel," she broke from his grasp and jumped into Link's arm, shocking both men. "Link, that's wonderful!"

A stupid grin plastered his face as he reciprocated the hug, "I know you want to explore the surface and I've been just about everywhere, where would you like to go first?"

"I thought we could explore the forest…" she smiled. "That is, unless, you have something else you want to show me?

"No, that's perfect."

A cough broke the love birds' bubble, "Zelda, if you require my attention, play this."

He tossed her a reed and she clumsily caught, "Sheik, wait-"

He took a few steps back and tossed a deku nut to the floor, blinding both Link and Zelda. They shielded their eyes with their forearms. After a few moments, they peeked only to find the mysterious Sheikah had gone. Link seemed a bit clueless and shrugged it off but Zelda seemed to frown a bit. She tucked the reed away into the inside of her brown belt.

"I was a bit rude," she walked towards the stone doors. "I must apologize to him later."

"For what?" Link jogged to her and walked beside her. "All you did was defend me; it was an accident."

"Yes, but, you really should be more careful," she softly chided.

"Alright…" he crossed his arms. "I will but who was he anyway? You seemed to be well acquainted with the way he had his arm around your waist."

"I… Excuse me?" Zelda blushed and turned, whacking his shoulder. "Just what are you implying?! He pulled me out the way to avoid you from crushing me! He is a part of Impa's tribe; he is a Sheikah sent by Impa herself to protect me!"

"Hey, I'm just teasing!" he shielded himself from her blows. "I know that! I saw it with my own two eyes! Ouch! Jeez!"

"You know I don't like to be teased in such ways," she pouted and waited for Link to push open the large, stone doors. "It's not always nice."

He muttered apologies as he shoved the heavy stone apart. They momentarily held their breath, their gaze observing where the Gate of Time once stood. Their eyes slowly lifted to where Granny once was and then to the master sword; it epitomized all their efforts to save all the land and its dwelling creatures. They briefly looked at each other and smiled.

"I know a great place to show you," he took a hold of her hand. "On my quest, I created a lot of short cuts; we'll get there quick!"

"Wait-" he dragged her off with a silly grin on his face; she could only shake her head and laugh, following along.

…

Butterflies fluttered through this little paradise. Flowers grouped together, whispering among each other as they danced in the breeze. Little grasshoppers sprang on by as they walked towards the little staircase. Water trickled from the golden temple and little birds chirped and sung their sweet melodies. The sun reflected off the gleaming metal making this area of the forest have an unearthly glow. Everything seemed greener, including the trees that sprouted from the walls. The lily pads, big and small, lazily floated in the pond. Zelda seemed to be in incomplete awe as she stepped into the water covered path. They had forgotten the little cave opening that resided behind them.

"Link, this is gorgeous!" she twirled, still holding that harp she cherished. "The temple inside must be just as beautiful!"

"Yeah… let's not go inside any temples," he shuddered at the thought of zombie Bokoblins chasing him up a rope; he was scarred for life. "This is one of the best sights in Faron."

He walked beside her and suddenly jumped onto one of the large lily pads. He offered his hand to her, grinning. She trusted him and jumped over. The pad shook a little but it supported both of their weights but sank an inch into the water. They carefully sat and observed the scenery. Neither of them minded getting a little wet. The dirty blonde stretched his arms and placed them behind him. Zelda mimicked his actions. It was as if they were separated from reality.

"Hmm, what's this?"

Link jumped and accidentally slid into the pond. The lack of balance made the lily pad topple over, causing Zelda to fall in as well. Both soaked to the bone, they swam their way to the water covered path. They stared up to see the Water Dragon with a smirk on her face. He tried to sputter apologies to the goddess incarnate and the guardian could hardly stifle its mirth as Zelda began to squeeze the liquid from her dress.

"I see two young lovers have wandered into my little quarry," she entwined her fingers as the sleeves of her kimono covered them. "I did not mean to startle you, I was just unaware of your presence or, rather, I wasn't expecting to see you here again."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Faron, warden of the woods," Zelda beamed and curtsied; water droplets dripped from her golden tresses.

"Ah, proper manners! How exquisite! Unlike some people I've come to know," the deity wrinkled her nose at Link, recalling their first meeting but smiled soon after. She reciprocated the respect. "Always a pleasure. Since you are here, I have to warn you. I'm going to flood these woods once more. Some beasts still prowl these woods and they seemed to have grown exponentially in number. They've attacked some of my people, the Parellas. I ask you acquaint yourself with another land because I'm going to permanently flood this province."

The hero placed his hand on the back of his hand and grimaced, "Isn't the lake enough?"

"You should really take into account of the other creatures that dwell here," Zelda seemed frustrated, a look that hardly crossed her face. "Your task is to guard Faron and all that is here, not single-handedly destroy it!"

Her eyes widened, mildly surprised, "Your Grace, you fail to realize that this will permanently keep any intruders outside-"

"I am fully aware of your intentions, Faron," she held her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "But _you _fail to realize that by flooding these woods then you strip yourself of your title as guardian. There is more to protect than the Parellas! Intruders are meant to invade, it's a given; you're the protector so you should be able to protect this entire province without destroying it more than the enemy ever could!"

Link nervously switched his gaze between the two. The tension was thick and could be cut by a knife. The water dragon was upset given the contention with her, well, boss. After a bit of awkward silence, the dragon deity unfolded her arms and left them at her side. Zelda crossed her arms, not willing to back down.

She scoffed and then nodded, "Fine, have it your way, but do not expect me to help if they come near you. You're on your own. Besides, you have your chosen hero."

With that, she flew off. Zelda stormed off towards the path leading to the entrance of Faron woods. Link hesitated for a moment considering whom he should follow and then smacked himself in the face for even taking a second to think about something so obvious. He stopped a moment to pick a couple of flowers to please his childhood friend and used his claw shot to grab a yellow nut squash from the tree branch that hung on the wall. The hero was about to chase after her but decided maybe he needed to pluck more flowers to cool her down.

…

Zelda had walked well along the path and cautiously climbed down onto the giant log that was placed coincidentally, like many other humongous logs throughout the forest, to create a shortcut. She huffed and began to fiddle her harp, soon beginning to play a few notes and then a full on melody. Zelda had felt slightly bad when she had taken it away from Link but she just loved it so very much. If Link wanted to borrow it, she would let him but the harp had come to love the instrument. There was no way was she just going to let him keep it now that their quest was over. She smiled and closed her eyes as she felt like singing again; it was therapy for her.

_Scent of the pine__, y__ou know how I feel__…_

_Oh__,__ freedom is mine__ a__nd I know how I feel__…_

_It's a new dawn__, i__t's a new day__; it's__ a new life__!_

_For me-_

"They said the Goddess had a beautiful voice, at least, that much is true," a large, portly monster kept its steady gaze as Zelda swiveled on her heels; she was shocked by the gruff voice. He was muscle with a giant horn helmet on his head and a pair of tattered pants. His skin was vomit green and he had bloody slits for eyes.

"… Who are you?" she squinted, preparing to sprint past the demon if necessary. "What do you want? … How do you-"

"Speak? I am not your standard Bokoblin; I am a Bulblin, a whole new breed and I am the new demon lord that presides over these lands," his rotted teeth formed an ugly grin. "My brethren may be humdrum fools but I was created and appointed by Lord Ghirahim himself and I'm here for you, goddess incarnate."

"Impossible, we've defeated Demise," her brows furrowed as her grip tightened on the harp. "This battle has long ceased. What could I possibly do for you?"

"Demise is no longer a concern of mine," he took a step forward. "I want the power of the Triforce for myself!"

"Zelda!" the familiar dirty blonde Hylian called. "I brought you some treats! Zel-!" He dropped all the goodies he had grabbed and immediately jumped off the ledge upon viewing the unsightly monster. As the Bulblin was turning, the hero wasted no time as he ran upside its back and jumped over the beast's grotesque skull. He rushed towards his shaken companion, pushing her behind him; he snarled as he readied his bow and arrow. "Who are you?!"

"Ah, the chosen Hero, I've no time for these games," he snapped his fingers as red and blue Bokoblins and huge pink Moblins filed out en masse from the forest. "It's too late."

"We'll make a run for it and I'll get the sword and-"

"Link, listen to me," Zelda pulled his shoulder back, giving her better access to his ear as she whispered harshly. "The Master Sword is only meant to be used in time of great peril! It's not ready to be used again. If you release it, you will sever the binds of Demise and release him again. It will take more than a few thousand years to seal his power within the blade…"

"But we have to-"

"Seize the Goddess!"

"Link, there's no time!" Zelda shoved the harp between his belt and waist. "The Triforce is hidden, if they capture me; they've nothing. They have yet to realize that! Please, you can't remove the blade, find another way to stop this! They must not know of the Triforce location!"

"I can't just let them take you! They'll kill you if they think you're useless; I can't let them harm you!" he was frustrated, piercing Bokoblin flesh as they ran towards them, the obese Moblins seemed undeterred by his flurry of arrows; a light went off in his head. "Call Sheik! The reed!"

Zelda's eyes widened from the revelation as she pulled out the reed to play it but gasped and cried out as Link was tackled by the Bokoblins; her hand clasped her mouth as they were surrounded. "Link!"

"Play it!" the hero roared. "Now!"

Zelda did as she was told, however, she was cut off and barely blew a note as she was grabbed by the putrid monsters. Link had fought valiantly, clawing and fisting what he could but he was no match for the hoard of Bokoblins and Moblins without a proper melee weapon to defend himself. They had beaten him to a bloodied pulp. Just as his existence was about to expire, King Bulblin decided to leave the hero to die, he would rather prolong the pain than end him swiftly. The minions agreed whole heartedly as they had dragged the goddess incarnate away, taking off without another word. The harp lay under his belly as they left the forest and the reed lay a few inches from the hero. Link lifted his hand toward the fleeing army as his vision blurred, screaming for Zelda. His wounds began to consume him as he reached for the reed. He played it with what little air he could expel from his lungs and passed out soon after.

…

Everything ached. He couldn't open his eyes, they felt glued shut and weighed a ton. A million thoughts raced through his head but none all at once; he couldn't think straight. Link groaned as his head pounded and his body pulsated with every throb of his heart. The hero felt hot, burning even, and he felt something rustling near his waist. Was he being robbed? He frowned as he tried to speak but he could only whimper as his throat felt torn and shredded. Something was pulled out one of his pouches as he could not protest. The hero felt so weak.

_Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel…_

_Sun in the sky, you know how I feel…_

_Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel…_

Link coughed as he had felt a bottle press to his lips. A bitter, lukewarm liquid sidled down his throat. He sputtered but was forced to swallow the substance. He felt some of his wounds begin to close and the ache of his body eased. He could actually lift his arms again. The weight on his body seemed to lift and his innards were no longer on fire but his vocals still felt a little worn. The song was familiar, something Zelda had recently sung frequently; he reached for the voice. It wasn't as sweet as his childhood friend's, slightly deeper too, but it had brought him comfort.

_It's a new dawn, it's a new day; it's a new life for me._

_And I'm feelin'… _

_Good._

"Zelda…?" Link croaked, managing to crack open an eye to see just who was above him. It was something he quickly regretted as his retinas had yet to readjust to the sunlight.

"No, hero, I am not," a tall, slender man had knelt by his side, gently pushing his hand down. "I am Sheik."

"Sheik?" the previous events smacked him in the head. "We have to find Zelda! We have to save her! We have to-ah!"

Link had tried to sit up but immediately felt back down with the pain that pronged his ribs. His whole body ached as he began ball his fists in frustration. He wanted to do something. He needed to do something. The feeling of helplessness filled him, reminding him of his first quest of when Zelda was just within his grasp and he could not have her. He slammed his fist into the ground and resisted the dam that tried to break.

"Hero, relax," the Sheikah pulled out another potion from Link's pouch, forcing him to down every last drop. "It's a good thing you have these otherwise you'd have to heal the old fashioned way."

"Why aren't you looking for Zelda?" Link felt a rage building in his belly. "I want you to save her; that's your job, isn't it?! That's why I called for you!"

"I'm unaware of the events that have occurred; I require information before I waltz through unfamiliar territory," the Sheikah dug through the hero's pouch. "Besides, I can sense Her Gra-… Zelda cares a great deal for you. I think she would be quite upset with me if I had just left you here all battered and broken while I pursued her. I think you're necessary for a task such as this."

"… She was taken by Ghirahim's underling; an entire army attacked us," he gave an exasperated sigh, coming to grips with the situation. "They want the Triforce."

"That is quite an issue," Sheik wiped up Link's caked blood with extra bandages he had. "Do you know which they had gone?"

Link pointed towards the path leading to Faron woods, "They couldn't have gone far… I know this place like the back of my hand, there's no real place to run."

"Hero, you realize there are locations beyond what you've come to know as the surface, do you not?" Sheik forced Link to drink another potion. "I'm not sure where they've taken her but we can track them."

"I'm not aware of such places…" Link sat up, feeling significantly better than he had before but felt extremely dizzy; he tried to stand up but stumbled and was forced back down. Link let Sheik prop him against the giant log and placed the harp behind the massive timber and tossed the reed onto his lap. "… I'll go with you."

"I suggest you rest while I see where their tracks lead," the Sheikah stood up. "We should perhaps, afterwards, acquire provisions. I have a feeling we'll be needing them."

"Okay…" The hero felt himself drift into slumber. "Don't… take too long…"

"We, Sheikah, are meant to be swift," he walked where the army had marched off. "I'll be back shortly."

...

So many trees, so much shrubbery, and so many cliffs. None of these were an obstacle for the Sheikah. He could jump great distances and heights with incredible prowess. He had followed the obvious path, heading North West from Lake Floria, which held dusty foot prints, shriveled plants and chopped forest. The further out Sheik had gone, the less trees there seemed to be; they became sparse the further he trekked. The Sheikah had gone a few miles inland; more open fields came into view with rocky outcropping and large mountains jutted in the distance. He couldn't help but wonder where this was, he had long felt himself leave the secure border of Faron province. The tracks led toward the mountain. The Sheikah considered an additional investigation but had heard the distinct whistle of his reed; his crimson eyes widened as he raced back towards the hero.

It took no more than 10 minutes to reach where Link should have been. Sheik closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and did his best to remain calm. Everything was in utter chaos. The Sheikah looked behind the log and had found the goddess harp. He carefully picked up the instrument and lightly plucked at the strings; it was unharmed. He used the rest of his excess bandages to create a belt to hold the harp around his chest. There were no tracks; there was nothing.

Sheik knew just where to go.

…

**The songs were Feelin' Good (both versions) by Nina Simone and the other Michael Buble. In the order of appearance.**

**Sheik is gonna be a little OP. Just a bit. He has the hearing and speed of a wolf :P And Sheikah naturally have epic jumping ability so… eh. Hmm… is it too farfetched? He'll also have magical abilities (like Impa) but that'll be for later…**

**R&amp;R if ya like**


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